Sustainability: You’ve probably heard the term in relation to business principles and procedures. But do you truly understand what it means? According to the International Institute for Sustainable Development, sustainability is the process of adopting business strategies and activities that meet the immediate needs of a business and its stakeholders, while protecting, sustaining, and enhancing the human and natural resources that will be needed in the future.
If you’re of a certain age, you remember a time when the only way to make a private call when away from home or the office was to step into a phone booth. Prolific on street corners and in businesses, phone booths allowed you to close the door and have conversations others couldn’t hear and conversations not muffled by ambient noises.
Remember the time machine in the movie “Back to the Future”? That’s one example of artificial intelligence, that’s probably not coming to fruition any time soon. Do you ask Siri for directions or summon Alexa or Cortana each morning to find out what the weather forecast is for the day to come? Those are examples of artificial intelligence (AI) that aren’t only here but have reached mainstream appeal.
This may be an unfamiliar term to you, but it's actually a strategy that many teachers embrace -- for their students and for themselves. In the classroom, going deskless in favor of adopting flexible seating options provides coveted extra floor space -- and the freedom for students to position themselves in a way that is most conducive for them to learn (lying on their stomach on the floor, sitting against a wall, sitting on a balance ball, etc.)
Before you can begin focusing on your office design, relocation, or renovation, you must determine approximately how much total and per-employee square footage you need. The fact that OSHA does not strictly mandate space requirements gives employers more flexibility but also means it’s up to employers to designate space effectively.
Why do most people work? Because they need money. Obviously, one way to keep your employees happy is to give them more money. However, sometimes that’s not feasible. And, sometimes the most highly compensated employees are not happy and leave to take a lower-paying job that offers a better quality of life. Giving employees a raise is definitely no guarantee that employees will be happy. It’s also not the only thing you can do to increase morale in the workplace. Here are several creative ways to keep employees happy without giving them a raise.
By definition, ergonomics is the science of designing and arranging things people use so people and things interact efficiently and safely. When you incorporate ergonomics into your office design, you improve productivity and employee morale. Ergonomic office furniture is designed with extreme attention to detail, which maximizes comfort and makes it easier for employees to carry out their jobs. It’s no secret that Humanscale is a leader in ergonomic office furniture innovation. Here are five of our favorite ergonomic Humanscale office furniture items.
What it means to “go to the office” has changed significantly in recent years. Office design may or may not include private offices, cubicles, or even workstations assigned to specific individuals. Two office design trends that are becoming increasingly popular are office hoteling and office benching. The esthetics of the each of these office design trends lend to wide-open visuals with the space appearing brighter and larger, instead of the dark and closed-off look of cubicle farms.
Read on to learn what they are and whether one may be beneficial for your office.
Regardless of what type of business you’re in, designing a new office space is not a job to take lightly. Once your office buildout is complete, you’ll likely be living with it for many years. You can set your organization up for long-term success by being diligent about your office space planning approach. You may be anxious to fast track the office design planning process so you can move forward with construction and ultimately move into your new space sooner. Resist the urge to rush this important step. Instead, be mindful and consider the following guidelines when drafting your new office design.
When you work in an office, you share more than a common employer. You share the air you breathe. Sometimes that may leave you wishing you had a window you could open up to get rid of the unpleasant smells that inevitably occur in any shared space. We’ve put together some ideas for dealing with offensive office odors – and some interesting information about how you can use scent to boost your employees’ productivity and moods and create a more pleasant work environment.